ATC medical exam

mekia

New Member
What exactly does the medical exam involve? I've looked over the following link, but it is not very descriptive.
There are things like "A history of high blood pressure requiring medication will require special review" or "severe mental disorders".
Not fall into either of these two catergories, but the not knowing bothers me.
So if amybody can elaborate, I will appreciate it greatly.

Thanks:hiya:

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ahr/jobs_careers/occupations/atc/medical/
 
From the link you provided, it looks like it is about the same requirements as getting a 3rd class FAA medical. It is a very basic physical and vision screening plus a review of your medical history.

Usually as long as you haven't had any major medical issues or currently have anything that requires regular maintenance medications to treat a condition, you should be OK. It doesn't require you to be the most physically fit person on the planet.
 
If you can pass an FAA Class 2 phyiscal, you should be okay. Essentially, its a class 2 every-other year from the time you hire until you reach 40, then its annually. The additions are an EKG after 40 every 5 years, unless you have some issues, then they may make you take the EKG more frequnetly. After you're hired the FAA will send you on duty-time, and at their exense for these physicals. If you fly, you can ask for a copy of your medical (the little white slip that pilots must carry) to have in your possession, otherwise, they will just send the paperwork to the Regional Flight Surgeon's office and its maintained there. If you utilize the benefits of a class 2 (meaning that you're a comml pilot) and need it renewed annually, and if youre under 40, the FAA will not send you/pay for it each year. For the off year visits to the Flight Doc, you're on your own.

Now having said that, if you are utilizing the benefits of the class 2 extra-curricularily (menaing you're flying for hire somewhere outside your FAA job), I would keep it on the down-low, and do it at an airport and which you do not work. This is considered a conflict of interest by the FAA.
 
Regarding the high blood pressure and medication, the only extra to the standard - vision, hearing, physical, ekg, and psych eval, is you must provide them w/a copy of your medical records at the PEPC and afterwards they'll ask for 3 different days of BP tests standing, sitting, and lying down, from your primary and you must provide a quick note stating if you have any side effects from the medication.
 
Basically it's a hearing, vision and basic physical.

The physical is shirt off, standard stuff. Then they do the turn your head and cough hernia check.

They throw an EKG in there too for fun.

They also want to know about any medication or health problems you've had in the past or currently have.
 
Still wondering about the EKG details. What about people who have safety clearance from a cardiologist for chronic, but innocuous (for me) irregularities? I'm not on medication, never had surgeries for it, and don't have any severe structural defects, but I will definitely have PVCs when they hook me up due to a murmur, and MVP.
 
Still wondering about the EKG details. What about people who have safety clearance from a cardiologist for chronic, but innocuous (for me) irregularities? I'm not on medication, and don't have any congenital abnormalities, but I will definitely have PVCs when they hook me up. Mitral valve prolapse.

Too many big words. :panic:
 
i'm personally worried about the bloodpressure portion. i run 20 miles a week and workout almost daily... and it's still up there. last time i checked i was 145/90 (though i was admittedly hungover at the time).


i'll be looking into medication shortly.
 
i'm personally worried about the bloodpressure portion. i run 20 miles a week and workout almost daily... and it's still up there. last time i checked i was 145/90 (though i was admittedly hungover at the time).


i'll be looking into medication shortly.

Wow, 20mi. a week. That's impressive. I'd run one or two, and be put out for a week.
 
not hard if you stick with it. doesnt really do me any good though...

How can running 20 miles a week not do you any good!

Some people's temperature is normally higher than 98.6, but that does no mean that the always have a fever. A BP of 120/80 is just the average. I would take your heart and overall condition any day!
 
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